Rare Abraham Lincoln portrait finds way back to rightful owners in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO — A lost family heirloom that dates back to the Civil War has returned to its rightful owners in Sacramento.
A framed portrait of Abraham Lincoln dates back to 1865. It was the same year the Civil War ended, followed by the assassination of President Lincoln.
Three months ago, the rare photograph turned up miles away. A mother and daughter made that remarkable discovery.
Cathy Jameson said she picked up the frame at the only Post Office in her hometown of Glennville, a small mountain community in California's Kern County.
The Post Office also serves as a trading post for people there.
"I go to the Post Office every few days and I saw the picture on a bench, leaning on a bench," Jameson said. "And I thought, 'Who would leave such a good picture?' So I picked it up and brought it home."
Her daughter Jaylynn McClain then noticed something peculiar.
"I started looking at the picture closely, and on the bottom of it was some old English writing, and that's when I saw 'The Property of Anna and Rufus M. Burgess,' " McClain said.
She went searching online and found Jonathan Burgess. The next day, he responded to her message and was eager to see the portrait firsthand.
Burgess would then make the nearly 300-mile trip to Glennville, nestled in the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada. There, he would meet McClain and Jameson and, for the first time, hold a family heirloom he never knew existed.
He and his twin brother, Matthew, are still processing the surprising turn of events.
"I almost cried when they gave the photo back," Jonathan Burgess said. "I was overwhelmed with emotions."
"It brings joy and pain at the same time," Mattew Burgess said. "But there's sentiment, and when I look at the picture and really examine it, and know that this picture meant something to our ancestors."
As to how the portrait made it to Glennville, that's still a mystery. McClain and Jameson are just grateful they were the ones returning the family heirloom.
"He was perfect for it because that's what him and his brother are doing right now, digging through history and finding their heritage and what happened," McClain said. "I just think it's another piece of the puzzle."
So, who are the Burgesses, and what's the family's story?
They made national news after discovering, through family documents and deeds, that their great-great-grandfather Rufus M. Burgess once owned a large piece of land in the gold rush town of Coloma.
The state admits it took a lot of the family's land through eminent domain to build what is now known as the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park.
Just last month, the California Legislative Black Caucus introduced legislation that proposes policies to atone for the state's treatment of Black Californians.
The Burgess family remains steadfast and hopeful and even has plans for their newly found portrait.
"When the state finally gives the Burgess land back and home, maybe a replica can go in the home and we tell a broader story of real American history," Jonathan Burgess said.
The Burgess brothers said they will have the portrait analyzed and put in a safe place.